Grant writing requires direct and concise information. Your project should be clearly organized for the reviewer and understood by a lay audience. Follow the funder's instructions carefully and pay close attention to all pagination requirements (including font, margin sizes, special characters, etc.). For additional resources, pleas visit Grant Writing Resources.

ORSP staff may assist as you craft your project proposal and can provide the various documents often required by funders, such as the 501(c)3 tax information, a list of LMU’s Board of Directors, or our most recent financial audit. Please also refer to LMU Institutional Profile for additional details.

Although there is no "standard" proposal, most applications include the following contents:

Cover Page

Summarize important identifying information: the proposal title; name of Principal Investigator; the principal investigator's contact information; the sponsor agency and program name; the project's start and end dates; and the amount of the total budget request.

Summary/Abstract

A well-written abstract encapsulates the entire proposal, conveying in a very brief statement the who, what, where, when and why. This is usually limited to one to two pages.

Introduction

The introduction outlines the overall project and its intent. Typically in no more than one page.

Problem Statement

This section describes the need for your project, your goals and objectives, and your hypothesis or research questions. Your statement of goals presents your vision of the project, its worth, and overall contribution to your project. The statement of objectives should be presented in measurable, quantifiable terms.

Methodology

Describe the methods you will use to achieve your desired outcomes. It is helpful, and often a requirement, to create a timeline for the activities which constitute your method or approach in order to persuade reviewers that you are organized and able to manage the complex demands of a project.

Budget

Budgets should reflect all the costs related to fundable activities in your project, including personnel costs, such as salaries and fringe benefits, and non-personnel costs, such as travel, equipment , materials and supplies. For budget assistance, see Budgeting.

Budget Justification

The budget narrative is a detailed explanation that justifies how the budget figures were derived and explains each budget line item.

Evaluation Method

An evaluation method measures the proposal's stated objectives in order to determine the project's progress and success. Interim or formative evaluations help to fine-tune the project.

Conclusion

A brief conclusion reiterates the significance and the purpose of your project.